1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a stretch fabric laminate having particular utility in conjunction with women's undergarments, such as panties and brassieres. One or more of the fabric layers forming the laminate may preferably include elastomeric yarn. More specifically, the laminate may be located along a portion of the undergarment requiring additional support, such as the stomach panel of a panty or the undercup region of a brassiere. Such a laminate provides additional support by predeterminedly limiting the elongation of the main body fabric within the undergarment. The laminate includes the unique application of an integral adhesive web for securing the fabric layers together, with the adhesive weld being characterized as offering different magnitudes of resistance to elongation when subjected to distortion in its different directions, and being oriented within the laminate in accordance with its differential elongation characteristics.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of laminates and other reinforcing materials to provide additional support or control at selective portions of an undergarment is generally well known. For example, Prunesti et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,9116 and Bell et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,964, both assigned to the assignee of the present application, disclose the utilization of a powdered adhesive material which is applied as discrete particles in a predetermined pattern and depth by a silk screen for laminating a support control panel to the main body port ion of a women's undergarment. The utilization of the silk screen for applying the powdered adhesive limits the manufacturing speed and overall efficiencies in the fabrication of such a laminate and the resultant undergarments.
The selective reinforcement of portions of a foundation garment by an intermediate plastic layer having adhesive qualities is also shown in Byrne U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,401. In that patent the plastic reinforcing material is applied to the fabric as a flowable paste which is intended to flow into the fabric and embed the individual threads forming the fabric. The plastic reinforcement may be patterned to provide reinforcement in one direction and not in the other. However, the flowing of the plastic into the fabric results in an undesired stiffening of the fabric, changing its hand or feel, and may result in irritation when applied to the skin of the wearer Galitzki et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,225,768 and 3,320,346 similarly show a cloth and plastic laminate for a breast support such as a bathing suit, in which the elastomeric polyethylene polymer bonds two fabrics together with the plastic flowing within the interstices of the fabric; Likewise, Storti U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,707 uses an elastomeric adhesive to secure a stomach control panel to a foundation garment with the adhesive flowing into the girdle fabric to lock itself around the individual stretch yarns.
The utilization of stiffening panels or other elements within undergarments or other apparel products is also generally shown in Flagg et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,021,844 which shows a brassiere reinforced in the breast cup area by a stiffening liner; Penrock U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,673 which is similarly directed to a brassiere having a plurality of plastic stays positioned below the cup portion; Bracht, U.S. Pat. No. 2,915,067 wherein stiffening elements are adhesively secured to the lower cup portion of a brassiere, or waist band of a girdle; Glucken U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,002 which laminates a patch of mold able fabric as a brassiere undercup support element.
Robinson U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,32l provides a brassiere which has a unitary molded breast cup including an intermediate lower cup support panel adhesively bonded to the cup by a polyester hot melt adhesive which may typically be applied through a screen which allows dotted coverage of the surface. Such an adhesive pattern does not provide differential elongation characteristic so that the orientation of the adhesive will be a factor in controlling the overall laminate elongation characteristics. Nirenberg U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,645 discloses another method for forming a laminate or molded article such as brassiere cups with an intermediate plastic layer. Cole et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,375,445 and 4,419,997, both assigned to the assignee of the present invention, are directed to molded cup brassiere in which the cup is formed of a laminate consisting of two layers of stretchable material which include a non-stretchable crown portion, a substantially non-stretchable longitudinal cup portion and a unitary multi-directional stretchable periphery portion.
Storti U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,263 is directed to a method for preparing a fabric laminate by laminating two fabrics by means of regularly recurring spaced geometric units of substantially dry adhesive film sandwiched between the outer fabric surfaces, with the result laminate having a raised pattern portion as determined by the adhesive pattern.
Adachi U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,415 forms a laminate including fabrics of different elasticity secured together with a conventional adhesive, such that the laminate characteristics are primarily determined by the elasticity of the two fabric layers. Backes U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,025 varies the stretch characteristics of a fabric by the selective insertion of different warp and weft threads into the fabric.
Additional composite elastomeric materials are disclosed in Kasper et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,489,154 issued to the assignee of the instant application and Vander Wielen U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,415.
Accordingly, it has been observed that the prior art is replete with numerous types of laminated fabrics and, in particular, laminated stretch fabrics for undergarments wherein the layers are combined in a desired manner in order to control the overall elongation characteristics of the laminate. Typically, the prior art secures the fabric layers together using conventional adhesives which do not exhibit differential stretch characteristics. Aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,701,964 an 4,776,916 do utilize the adhesive layer, which is applied as discrete particles of a powder through a silk screen, to play a definitive role in determining the laminate characteristics, with such characteristics being predeterminately varied by such parameters as the pattern and thickness of the particular adhesive. Similarly, aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,401, which applies plastic reinforcing material to flow into and embed the individual yarns in the fabric can vary the support provided in different directions in accordance with the pattern of the plastic material applied as a flowable paste. Thus, while it had been recognized that the pattern of the adhesive may be a factor in controlling the laminate elongation in its various directions, the prior art necessitated application of the adhesive material through a silk screen either as a discrete particles of powder as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,701,964 and 4,776,916 or a flowable paste as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,401. The silk screen application of the adhesive will be a limiting factor in producing such laminates, thereby preventing optimum cost efficiencies. While garments made in accordance with aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,701,964 and 4,776,916 have demonstrated substantial consumer acceptance and utility, it is desirable to achieve comparable results at higher manufacturing speeds, thereby resulting in lower cost for the mass production of garments typically including laminated support panels--e.g. panties and brassieres. The use of a flowable paste which is not confined to between the fabrics disadvantageously affects the fabric characteristics.